Sabine Demotes-Mainard

• Mailing adress

42, rue Georges Morel
BP 60057
Building: A
Phone. : +33 (0)2 4122 56 46
Fax : +33 (0)2 4122 56 35
email :sabine.demotes-mainard@angers.inrae.fr

• Research

Plant architecture strongly influences the interactions between plants and their environment. Architecture varies greatly depending on genotype, environmental conditions and management practices. It has a significant impact on important biological processes and, consequently, on plant and crop performance. For example, changes in branching patterns can affect crop yield or the visual quality of ornamental plants. Similarly, differences in architecture, by altering radiation interception and transpiration, will modulate the cooling services provided by urban vegetation during periods of extreme heat.

I study how environmental factors, in interaction with genotype, regulate the above-ground architecture of plants, and how this architecture impacts the ecosystem services provided by plants. I approach this question at different scales. At the stem scale, I have focused on the regulation of branching and budbreak in response to the environment—particularly light—ranging from phenotypic characterization to an understanding of the regulatory network governing budbreak. More recently, I have been interested in urban vegetation, focusing on whole-plant approaches. In a context of increasing heat waves and rapid urbanization, urban vegetation provides numerous ecosystem services; in particular, it is an effective means of improving thermal comfort, it contributes to social cohesion and well-being. However, its development and functioning—and thus the services it provides—may be compromised by harsh conditions urban conditions, particularly summer droughts. I study plant development in response to urban constraints, with a particular focus on the relationship between architecture and the cooling services provided by trees in cities. To this end, I take into account the effects of genotype, microclimatic conditions, and soil water availability. The goal is to generate knowledge to guide planners in selecting species and designing facilities in the context of climate change. I conduct my research through interdisciplinary collaborations.